Issues & Advocacy

Information and resources on major issues within the school library field.

Advocacy
Tools to support advocacy at the local, state and national level.

Position Statements
AASL-developed position statements.

Toolkits
AASL-developed toolkits.

Intellectual Freedom Brochure ( or )
This brochure was created by the AASL Intellectual Freedom Committee and is available for download, duplication, and distribution. It describes why intellectual freedom is important in a school library program, the difference between selection and censorship, what to do before a challenge occurs, where to obtain assistance during a challenge, why schools filter and how it affects students intellectual freedom, and how the ALA Code of Ethics affects school librarians.

School Library Month
Many school library programs celebrate the month of April as School Library Month in conjunction with National Library Week.

Other School Library Promotional Events

School/Public Library Cooperative Activities
The AASL/ALSC/YALSA Joint Task Force on School/Public Library Cooperative Activities looks at local and national models of school/public library cooperative activities. The group is charged with creating an action plan to develop a product to function as a clearinghouse for ideas about activities, programs, and services to promote best practices in school/public library cooperation. The Web site provides a bibliography on school & public library partnerships, links to school & public library cooperative programs, and lists of exemplary Web sites about school & public library partnerships.

@ your library® School Library Campaign
Developed in collaboration with AASL, the school library component of the American Library Association's @ your library® campaign seeks to increase public awareness of the significant contributions made by school librarians through school library programs to further the academic achievement and lifelong learning of students; strengthen a belief in the value of school library programs and school librarians; and position school librarianship as a desirable career opportunity.